Musical prodigy Carolyn Malachi discusses the road to the GRAMMY's

Carolyn Malachi's "BEAUTIFUL DREAMER" is an inspiring account of overcoming incredible odds and living a passionate life.

Carolyn Malachi

Hearing a song can instantly brighten your day and move you emotionally. It isn't as often that the story of a musician's rise to stardom can inspire those same feelings. Carolyn Malachi is one of the most personal songwriters of her time, with so much skill that she can cross different cultures and generations through her lyrics. Passionate, powerful, and positive are three words that can describe this musical prodigy. Her sound has been described as a mix between Sade and Lauryn Hill with a touch of Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Radiohead.

Carolyn Malachi

Malachi grew up in Washington, D.C. under strong musical lineage. Her great-grandfather is the famous Jazz pianist John Malachi. Knowing she has big shoes to fill, she states that family was a huge part of her leadership and inspiration as she grew in her career. She began her professional career at West Virginia's Shepherd University with a focus in audio production, and soon began rapping, but soon realized that wasn’t the direction she wished to take her career. She now chooses to blend jazz-influenced R&B, pop and soul with poetry. Malachi released her debut album, ‘Revenge Of The Smart Chicks,’ in 2008 and followed with 2009's ‘Revenge Of The Smart Chicks II: Ambitious Gods.’ The same year, she decided to join the Recording Academy to begin networking with industry professionals who would help take her career even further. In 2010 she met the academy Steering Committee Co-Chair James McKinney, who focuses on the development of standardized metadata practices, as well as the advocacy for performance rights and educational outreach. That year, she also released the EP ‘Lions, Fires & Squares,’ including the soulful hit "Orion," which demonstrates that her commitment paid off as she attained a GRAMMY nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 53rd GRAMMY Awards.

Malachi believes that getting a GRAMMY nomination teaches you to work harder and focus your energy on being excellent. When she received the first phone call notifying her of her nomination, she was about to go on stage at LIV Nightclub in Washington, D.C. It goes without saying that we can assume she had one of the best shows of her life that night.

When excellent things like a GRAMMY nomination happen this early in your career, you don’t receive a pass. This nomination has allowed me to talk about greater things that matter; to tell a story through my lyrics and melody.

Malachi continued her focused musical direction with the release of her album Gold in 2013 with help from notable producers including James McKinney; revealing powerful records that stand as a call to action to the world through song. ”Gold is all about finding that golden part of you," said Malachi. "We go through challenges, we go through struggles and somehow when we emerge we feel stronger. I know that the album speaks to that new strength.”

Malachi is simply a gorgeous vocalist who inspires so many with her versatility and yet maintains the ability to stay true to herself by making everything her own. Her style is so personal and close to our own hearts, touching us deeply on many levels. She has sought to give back by participating in and giving to causes that focus on having her music become a global force for good; including the international nonprofit The School Fund.

This will be a big year for Malachi as her and her team put together her first tour. Be sure to check back with announcements and tour information.

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Courtney Manlove is a music and entertainment publicist based in Los Angeles. Over the years, she's toured the globe with award winning music groups, down to being an incremental growth agent to emerging artists. She can be described as a Marketing Maven, a Music Enthusiast, an Executive ♫ Producer, a Strategic Futurist, and a Serial Optimist.